Hydro-jet control apparatus



/U d ff f2 i v April 24, 1962 R, H, BARNES ETAL 3,030,909

HYDRO-JET CONTROL APPARATUS ATTRNEYS April 24, 1962 R. H. BARNES ETAL 3,030,909

HYDRO-JET CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Oct. l0, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Armer/rs April 24, 1962 Filed Oct. l0, 1960 R. H. BARNES ETAL HYDRO-JET CQNTROL APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYS nited States atent iilldg Patented Apr. 24, 1962 3,030,909 HYDRO-'JET CONTRL APPARATUS `Robert H. Barnes, yPleasant Hill, and Ralph A. Rhoda, Berkeley, Calif., assignors to Berkeley .Pump Company, Berkeley, Calif., a corporation of California Filed st. 10,1%0, Ser. No. 61,571 Claims. (Cl. 11S-l2.)

This invention relates to control apparatus for directing the jet stream of `a turbo-powered water craft. More particularly, the invention involves the provision of a movable manifold which will channel and direct the jet stream to produce forward, backward and turning movements of the water craft.

ln brief, this invention comprises a propulsion mani- 'fold having horizontally spaced passageways that extend downwardly from a central, upper divided opening and terminate at lower jet discharge openings. The manifold and its mounting assembly `are adapted to be secured upon the stern end of a boat and moved into various horizontal and vertical posi-tions. In a raised position the manifold directs the jet stream rearwardly, and by controlling the horizontal position of the manifold the boat may be steered. But, by lowering7 the manifold into a position where the divided opening is placed in front of the jet stream, the stream is directed forwardly through the spaced passageways, resulting in a reverse propulsion and causing the boat to be driven backwardly. Furthermore, the horizontal positioning of the manifold will divert more, less or the same proportion of the jet stream into the discharge passages. Thus Vthe boat may also be turned while moving in a backward direction. It will be further recognized that the position of the manifold may be 4adjusted between a raised and lowered position, thereby proportioning the jet stream between the passageways and also allowing a portion to be directed rearwardly. Therefore, the manifold may be Vpositioned in a neutral position.

The invention also contemplates a propulsion control manifold having horizontally spaced jet discharge openings that are divergently `directed at equal angles from a forward direction. And conjunctively employed therewith, a set of guide vanes is provided to insure a directional control of the jet discharges, thereby enhancing the |maneuverability of the boat.

It will be evident, therefore, that a primary object of this invention is to provide a novel and useful hydro-jet control device for use with a jet propelled water craft.

A second object is to provide a hydro-jet control device which includes a divided propulsion manifold having horizontally spaced passageways extending from a central, upper divided opening and'terminating at lower jet discharge openings, said control device also including a mounting assembly that provides selective horizontal and vertical positioning of said manifold relative to a propelling jet stream.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hydrojet control device having :a divided propulsion manifold with horizontally spaced passageways that terminate at lower jet discharge openings, said openings being divergently directed at equal angles from a forward direction with lrespect to the water craft which is to be propelled.

It is another object to provide a hydro-jet control device having a divided propulsion manifold with divergently directed jet discharge openings, said openings being provided with guidevanes for maintaining a directed stream discharge Iangular to a forward direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hydrojet control device including a propulsion manifold having horizontally spaced .passageways extending from a central,

upper divided opening and `terminatingat lower-jet-dis- 2 charge openings, said manifold also defining a laterally convergent nozzle subjacent said divided opening for directing a jet stream generally rearward when said divided opening is positioned above the water craft discharge opening.

A still further object is to provide a hydro-jet control device for use with a water craft propelled by a jet stream, said device comprising: a manifold mounting plate adapted for being secured to the stern end of a water craft and lhaving van opening through which a jet stream of water may be rearwardly ejected, a divided manifold having horizon-tally spacedpassageways extending from a central, upper divided opening and terminating at lower jet discharge openings, said manifold openings being directed generally forward, and means mounting said manifold upon said pla-te and providing selective horizontal and vertical positioning of said manifold relative to the opening of said mounting plate; whereby said divided opening may be positioned to direct all, none or -a portion of the jet Vstream into said passageways, thereby controlling t-he directional movement of the water craft.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a hydro-jet control device including a divided propulsion manifold having horizontally spaced passageway/s extending from a central, upper divided opening and terminating at lower jet discharge openings, said manifold being supported upon a vertical track that may be horizontally adjusted and a horizontal track that may be vertically adjusted, and further including means for independently actuating said vertical ,-andhorizontal tracks.

Various other objects of this invention will become apparent in View of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

ln the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like parts are idenitfied by like reference numerals throughout the same.

FIG. l is a longitudinal section taken through thehousing of a turbo-jet unit `and a preferred embodiment of a hydro-jet control such yas contemplated by this invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section taken on lines 2 2 of FIG. l, also showing connections for a horizontal `manifold actuating means;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section of the hydro-jet control shown in FlG. 1, also showing connections for a vertical manifold actuating means;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevationai viewlof the hydro-jet control unit with portions broken away to show details of the internal construction;

FIGS. S and 6 are horizontal sections of the manifold and related mounting structure which illustrate the directional control of `a jet stream that is obtained by horizontal adjustment of .the propulsion manifold, said manifold occupying fully raised and fully lowered positions, respectively; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are vertical sections of lthe manifold and related mounting structure which illustrate the directional control of a jet stream that is .obtained by vertical adjustment of the propulsion manifold, said manifold occupying partially raised and fully 'lowered ypositions, respectively.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1,1there is illustrated a turbo jet propulsion system comprising, generally, a turbine lil having an impeller if and a hydrokjet control apparatus l2. This system isfshown mounted within the framework of a boat having a bottom 13 and a stern'end ld. It will 'be understood that the impeller :lll `is driven by the shaft l5, as by a diesel or gasoline inboard engine; that as a consequence, water from beneath the boat is drawn upward through the intake opening lo, and forced outwardly through the stern discharge nozzle 17 at a high velocity as a jet stream. Moreover, the jet stream is then utilized to propel the boat by virtue of its reactive force, in a manner well known in the art. However, the means by which the developed jet stream is controlled and directed is believed to be novel and a material improvement over devices now commonly utilized.

Accordingly, this invention is more specifically con-,

cerned with the hydro-jet control apparatus 12 that comprises a manifold 18 and a manifold mounting plate 19. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, mounting plate 19 is secured to the stern end 14 by means of a plurality of bolts 20, and defines a discharge opening 21 that is centered with respect to nozzle 17. Plate 19 is also secured to a thickened end portion of the nozzle by means of bolts 22.

Manifold 18 is divided into two horizontally spaced passageways 18a and 18b, said passageways extending from a central, upper divided opening 23 and terminating at lower jet discharge openings 24 and 25, each discharge opening having guide vanes 26 disposed therein. The guide vanes of each discharge opening are divergently directed at equal angles from the axis of opening 23. Therefore, the jet stream that is emitted from either opening will be directed laterally with respect to the water craft upon which the manifold is mounted, and the reactive forces of the discharges through openings 24 and 25 will tend to produce a turning of the water craft as well as a backward propulsion. It will be understood, however, that if the discharges through openings 24 and 25 are made equal, then the lateral effects of those jet streams will be balanced and the water craft will be propelled directly backward.

Manifold l also defines a laterally convergent nozzle 27, said nozzle being located intermediate passageways 18a and 18h and subjacent to opening 23. As shown in FIGS. l, 3 and 5, the nozzle 27 is positioned opposite to opening 21 of plate 19 whenever the water craft is to be propelled forwardly. It Will be further noted that the lateral convergency of nozzle 27 allows the direction of forward propulsion and turning to be controlled by the horizontal positioning of the manifold.

The manifold is mounted upon plate 19 by means which provides selective horizontal and vertical positioning of said manifold relative to the discharge opening 21. For this purpose, a vertical track comprising spaced rails 28 and 29, and a horizontal track including rail 30, are mounted upon plate 19. Rails 28 and 29 are reciprocally mounted upon horizontal cross bars 31 and 32 which are received and guided in axial passages through quadrantly spaced boss members 33, provided as an integral part of plate 19. Similarly, rail 30 is supported upon vertical rods 34 and 35 which project through and are reciprocally mounted in axial passages of the elongated boss members 36, also formed as an integral portion of plate 19. Manifold 1S is held against plate 19 by lateral flanges 37 and 38 which slidably engage rails 28 and 29, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 2, and 6. Also, a horizontal slot is provided in the manifold along its lower rib 39 for receiving rail 30 in a slidable engagement. It will be understood, therefore, that manifold 18 is adapted to be positively moved by either the horizontal actuation of rails 28 and 29 or the vertical movement of rail 30.

Means are also provided for independently actuating the vertical land horizontal tracks. Accordingly, a lever arm 40 is threadedly engaged with cross bar 31, said lever arm having ears 41 extending laterally on either side and providing a connection for control cables 42 and 43, as shown in FIG. 2. Cables 42 and 43 are trained around pulleys 44 and 45, respectively,` which are mounted upon the boat frame, and said cables are actuated by conventional steering controls, not shown. Thus, the vertical rails 28 and 29 may be horizontally moved to position manifold 18 relative to mounting plate 19.

FIG. 3 most clearly illustrates the means by which horizontal rail 3i) may be vertically actuated. The upper ends of rods 34 and 35 connect with an offset support yoke 46 having an ear 47 that is adapted to be engaged and reciprocally actuated by control cables 48 and 49 that are trained around pulleys 50 and 51, respectively. It will be evident that cables 48 and 49 may be operated by conventional types of actuating devices similar to a steering control.

From the above description, and with reference to the drawings, the complete manner of operation will be understood as follows:

To propel the water craft in the forward direction, manifold 18 is positioned in its fully raised position with laterally convergent nozzle 27 positioned vertically opposite to opening 21 of plate 19. Accordingly, the jet stream discharged through nozzle 17 will be directed rearwardly, propelling the water craft forwardly. The forward movement may then be controlled by a horizontal movement of manifold 18 to a position such as shown in FIG. 5. The convergent sides of the manifold then direct the jet stream to one side, causing the water craft to be turned.

By moving manifold 18 to its lowermost position, as shown in FIG. 8, divided opening 23 is then positioned in vertical alignment with opening 21. The jet stream will then be directed through one or both manifold passageways, depending upon the horizontal positioning of the manifold, thereby directing the jet stream in a forward direction and causing the water craft to be moved rearwardly. Assuming that the manifold is centered with respect to the opening 21 of plate 19, the jet streams emitted from openings 24 and 25 will be equal and the water craft will be propelled directly toward the rear. But if the manifold is shifted toward the left for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the unequal propulsion forces will cause the water craft to be turned as itis moved backward.

With particular reference to FIG. 7, it will be seen that the manifold may be positioned where the jet stream issuing from nozzle 17 is directed through both the convergent nozzle 27 and the divided opening 23. Accordingly, that portion of the jet stream emitted from openings 24 and 25 will urge the water craft toward the rear, but the portion of the stream passing through nozzle 27 will urge the craft forwardly. If the manifold is horizontally centered, it is possible to vertically locate the manifold in a neutral position where the forwardly directed forces are balanced with the rearwardly directed jet stream. Moreover, it may be appreciated that a horizontal shifting of the manifold may be used to produce a couple, which will cause the Water craft to rotate in a relatively stationary position.

It will be understood that while a preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, various change may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the attached claims, and each of such changes is contemplated.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A hydro-jet control device for use with a water craft propelled by a jet stream ejected rearwardly through a discharge opening, said device comprising a divided manifold having horizontally spaced passageways extending from a central, upper divided opening and terminating at lower jet discharge openings, said manifold openings being directed gcnerally forward with respect to the water craft when mounted thereon, and means mounting said manifold upon the water craft and providing selective horizontal and vertical positioning of said manifold relative to the water craft discharge opening; whereby said divided opening may be positioned to direct all, none, or a portion of the jet stream into said passageways, thereby controlling the directional movement of the Water craft.

2. The device of claim l wherein said manifold dis,-

charge openinvs are divergently directed at equal angles from a forward direction with respect to the water craft.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said manifold discharge openings are provided with guide vanes.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said manifold also defines a laterally convergent nozzle subjacent said divided opening for directing the jet stream generally rearward when said divided opening is positioned above the water craft discharge opening; whereby horizontal movements of said manifold will laterally redirect the jet stream.

5. A hydro-jet control device for use with a water craft propelled by a jet stream, said device comprising: a inanifold mounting plate adapted for being secured to the stern end of a water craft and having an opening through which a jet stream of water may be rearwardly ejected, a divided manifold having horizontally spaced passageways extending from a central, upper divided opening and terminating at lower jet discharge openings, said manifold openings being directed generally forward, and means mounting said manifold upon said plate and providing selective horizontal and vertical positioning of said manifold relative to the opening of said mounting plate; whereby said divided opening may be positioned to direct all, none or a portion of the jet stream into said passageways, thereby controlling the directional movement of the water craft.

6. A hydro-jet control device for use with a water craft propelled by a jet stream, said device comprising: a manifold mounting plate adapted for being secured to the stern end of a water craft and having an opening through which a jet stream of water may be rearwardly ejected, a divided manifold having horizontally spaced passageways extending from a central, upper divided opening and terminating at lower jet discharge openings, a manifold support including a vertical track that may be horizontally adjusted and a horizontal track that may be vertically adjusted, land means for independently actuating said vertical and horizontal tracks; whereby said divided opening may be positioned to direct all, none or a portion of the jet stream into said passageways, thereby controlling the directional movement of the water craft.

7. The control device of claim 6 wherein said vertical track comprises a pair of laterally spaced rails horizontally and reciprocally mounted from said manifold mounting plate, said manifold being laterally restrained by said tracks but vertically movable relative thereto, said actuating means including a device for horizontally moving said rails to position said manifold relative to said mounting plate opening.

8. The control device of claim 6 wherein said horizontal track comprises a rail vertically and reciprocally mounted from said manifold mounting plate, said manifold being vertically restrained by said track but laterally movable relative thereto, said actuating means including a device for vertically moving said rail to position said manifold relative to said mounting plate opening.

9. The device of claim -6 wherein said manifold also defines a laterally convergent nozzle subjacent said divided opening for directing the jet stream generally rearward when said divided opening is positioned above the water craft discharge opening; whereby horizontal movements of said manifold will laterally redirect the jet stream.

10. The device of claim 6 wherein said manifold discharge openings are divergently directed at equal angles from a forward direction with respect to the water craft.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein said manifold discharge openings are provided with guide vanes.

12. A hydro-jet con-trol device for use with a water craft propelled by a jet stream, said device comprising: a manifold mounting plate adapted for being secured to the stern end of a water craft and having an opening through which a jet stream of water may be rearwardly ejected, a divided manifold having horizontally spaced passageways extending from a central, upper divided opening and terminating at lower jet discharge openings, a pair of laterally spaced vertical rails mounted from said manifold mounting plate for horizontal reciprocation, means for horizontally moving said rails relative to said mounting plate opening, a horizontal rail vertically and reciprocally mounted from said manifold mounting plate, means for vertically moving said horizontal rail relative to said mounting plate opening, said manifold being reciprocally mounted upon said vertical rails in the vertical direction and reciprocally mounted upon said horizontal rail in the horizontal direction; whereby said divided opening may be positioned to direct all, none or a portion of the jet stream into said passageways, thereby controlling the directional movement of the water craft.

13. The device of claim l2 wherein said manifold also defines a laterally convergent nozzle subjacent said divided opening for directing the jet stream generally rearward when said divided opening is positioned above the water craft discharge opening; whereby horizontal movements of said manifold will laterally redirect the jet stream.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein said manifold discharge openings are divergently directed at equal angles from a forward direction with respect to the water craft.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said manifold discharge openings are provided with guide vanes.

References Sited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 188,683 Germany Aug. 5, 1907 68,790 France Ian. 27, 1958 (lst addition to No. 1,134,437)

OTHER REFERENCES Yachting Magazine, vol. 106, No. 5, pages and 71, November 1959. 

